This invention relates generally to video surveillance systems and, more particularly, to controlling cameras used in a video surveillance system.
Personal computers (PC) typically use a point-and-click input device, such as a mouse or trackball as a standard method for entering data and for navigating throughout computer programs and menus within those programs. At least some known video surveillance systems utilize complex and detailed menus for initializing and programming the PTZ cameras. Creating the menus using input features, such as buttons, drop-down list boxes, text fields, check boxes, that have become commonplace when operating PCs, facilitates interaction with the menus. Such input features also enable quicker and more understandable menu navigation for the user, thus increasing the ease of use of the surveillance system.
At least some known modern video surveillance systems utilize controller keypads that have built-in joysticks for camera pan and tilt control and a switch to control various functions of the camera, for example, an iris control, a focus control, and a zoom control. The joystick and camera control switches control signal, which are transmitted to a decoder in the camera. The actual content of the control signal generated by the controller keypad may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and may vary within different products offered by the same manufacturer depending on configuration and/or specific equipment used. The common content of these signals is the information to control camera panning (left/right), tilting (up/down), and zooming (in/out) regardless of the specific content of the signal. However, menu driven initialization and programming of PTZ cameras may be hampered by different protocols used by each manufacturer or each product line.